EDEV405: Designing learning utilising digital technologies

Session 2: DiscoveryNick Bunyan: Educational Developer & Learning TechnologistELearning Unit, Centre for Lifelong Learning

Workshop outline1. Learning design case studies practice

capturing design patterns.2. Start the Discovery stage in the design

thinking process.

Practical 1. Wiki – commenting on each others wikis.2. Start your online research. 3. Other technologies of interest at this stage

Learning designThe next section of the workshop will re-turn to the idea of ‘learning design’ introduced in the first session:the patterns of student learning activities, tools, physical spaces, resources, assessment tasks etc that create an ‘effective’ learning environment.

Learning design exampleA ‘Traditional’ campus learning design from a teaching perspective might look like this:

LectureSeminar

Classroom:Information delivery, collaboration, application…

Online:Resources

VITAL resources

Lecture Lecture

• How do student actually learn? • What do they do?• What do ‘good’ students do, and what to ‘less

capable’ students do in this learning environment?• How do different student learning preferences,

learning strategies & motivations effect how they engage within a specific learning environment?

Learning design exampleA ‘Traditional’ online learning design from a teaching perspective might look like this: Online:Collaboration

• How do student actually learn? • What do they do?• What do ‘good’ students do, and what to ‘less

capable’ students do in this learning environment?• How do different student learning preferences,

learning strategies & motivations effect how they engage within a specific learning environment?

Online:Independent learning

Discussion forumWebinar

E-lectures, e-journals etc.

Learning design is explicitly focused on what students do (active) to support their learning - in the classroom, in groups, independently etc.

This re-design was based on some insights about how students were learning that included:

•Students lacked expose to examples of academic writing. •Had no opportunities to practice academic writing.•Could ‘cruise’ the module and only start learning just before the exam! •Students were not connecting module learning outcomes, content, assessment tasks and assessment criteria.

Learning design exampleDr Paul Williamson’s peer learning case study:

This image is a representation of the module re-design created using the Compendium LD software.

It is essentially a flow diagram of the specific activities staff and students engage in, resources and technologies used to create the new ‘learning environment.’

To access the video of Paul talking about this case study, plus this learning design model, in VITAL go to the : 1. Introduction to module key themes > Inspiration

Learning design examplePaul Williamson’s peer learning case study:

Activity #1: Visualising the challenge Individually, create a visual representation of your challenge area. This can be any conceptual diagram, storyboard, timeline or other graphical representation.

Focus particularly on the student learning experience as you perceive it.

Share and discuss with a neighbour.

Conceptual drawing/ visualisation

Purpose is for you to capture and explore a specific learning context holistically.

If you are stuck about how to approach this task, start with a timeline (week, or term etc.) as the basis for the drawing.

Activity #2: Theorisation Make a few notes on possible explanations as to why your current learning is not educationally effective?

Share and discuss these with your neighbour.

(This is an exercise in practising developing grounded theory – this is something that will be required in the final synoptic text assessment!)

Design thinkingThe next section of the workshop will re-turn to the main focus of each workshop which is the design thinking process. This workshop will focus on the first stage in the process: Discovery.

Design thinking processA reminder of the key stages:

1. DiscoveryHow do I approach the problem?

2. InterpretationHow do I interpret it?

3. IdeationWhat do I create?

4. ExperimentationHow do I build it?

5. EvolutionHow do I evolve it?

Although each stage is clearly defined, in practice it is a very iterative and evolving process!

Design thinking challengesDesign thinking is not suited to all problems. Some issues will have readily recognisable solutions. Design thinking is best suited to ‘wicked’ tricky, more complex challenges where the problem area is ill defined and the likely solutions are not that obvious:

Clear challenge

Clear solutionAnalysis

Poorly defined

challengeAnalysis & synthesis

Likely solution

Likely solution

This stage in the process has 3 sections:1.1 Understanding the challenge.1.2 Prepare research.1.3 Gather inspiration.

The detail requirements for this stage is described in our first patch assessment task.

1. Discovery

Activity #3: Understanding the challenge

Individually at first, focusing on your areas of interest, work through the questions in 1.1 Understanding the challenge (Patch 1).

Then in your groups, discuss and refine each of your challenges or issues.

Write notes to capture your thinking to add to your wiki for patch 1.

Practical

Activity #4: Prepare research

Individually at first, focusing on your areas of interest, work through the questions in 1.2 Prepare research, in patch 1.

Then in your groups, discuss how you will approach getting data and evidence.

Write notes to capture your thinking to add to your wiki for patch 1.

Activity #5: Gather inspiration

Individually at first, focusing on your areas of interest, work through the questions in 1.3 Gather inspiration, in patch 1.

Then in your groups, discuss how you could gather inspiration about how to approach your challenge area.Write notes to capture your thinking to add to your wiki for patch 1.